Genesis 28:16-22
2008.Oct.31 05:20
Jacob’s Response
Read Genesis 28:16-22 | Full Chapter
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top. He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father's house in safety, then the LORD will be my God. "This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."
(Genesis 28:16-22, NASB)
Jacob’s response is…difficult. On the one hand, I think his intentions are (by and large) positive. On the other, I get distracted by the “little things.” What little things? Well…
- He concludes that Bethel (at that time Luz) is itself a special location, offering some particular access to God and heaven. There’s nothing else in the Bible that gives me any reason to value that apparent conclusion, though given what little I know about the religions of his day, it’s not an absurd conclusion. I’m just pretty sure it’s completely wrong.
- It’s hard to say, but I have the impression that to an extent Jacob’s worship, such as there is, is directed to the place instead of to Yahweh.
- Jacob makes an if/then vow. These always strike me as both arrogant and dangerous.
- “This stone…will be God’s house.” Uh, Jacob…no. Sorry.
There’s a feeling that Jacob may think he’s happened into this encounter with Yahweh, rather than that Yahweh sought him out on account of his grandfather’s faith (which is what I conclude has happened; in as much as “sought him out” should not imply any difficultly in doing so on Yahweh’s part). More than that is the indication that Jacob does not particularly understand Yahweh. Perhaps he considers Yahweh as a local diety, although one particularly worshipped in his family. The comment about the stone being God’s house speaks of a belief of having some control over and/or something needed by dieties. This is not a “You are the creator of the universe who has become personally involved in my life. Whoa” reaction. But it’s promising.
As an aside, this is (I think) the second reference to a tithe in the Bible, after Abraham’s gift to Melchizedek. But I don’t have anything particular to say on that point.
